Pinchincha Volcano high

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Hi gorgeous ones, this is going to be the most gushing mad email because I am out of control high today. So my disclaimer is, sickening over exaggerated happines guff is about to follow, so please be warned!

Had the best day of my holiday today even though there were no animals. I wasn't part of the group at all and instead found two very cool Aussies who are living in Adelaide. Eric and Janet are both 32, own a vineyard, are left wing, into biodynamics and are so into nature we were all spinning each other out by echoing our same philosophy on life and attitude. Instant hit together.

Anyway, I met them on the boat and they were groaning as much as me about the group but noticed we were all into the same stuff so they asked me if I was keen for a decent hike. YEAH!

We left this morning at 8 and spent the whole day hiking to the top of the world. Just 10 minutes out of the city of Quito which is at 2800 metres above sea level you can get a cable car up to an elevation of 4000 metres. From there you can climb for about a 6 hour hard core round trip at high altitude up Pinchincha Volcano to a height of 4680 metres above sea level. Even trekking Nepal I hadn't been that high, let alone in a day. So offwe went early not really knowing what was waiting for us but all feeling really positive.

It was numbingly cold, we were all wearing everything we had accept for our thermals and the altitude as you got off the cable car is like a slap in the face. It's like a happy head spin combined with fresh air and total green nature gorgeousness surrounding you as well. It was hard but exhilirating. We couldn't see our destination as it was above the clouds but the fact we couldn't see it was probably a good thing or we may have been intimidated. We had all day together and as you know hiking means intense nature conversation and truth. We agreed on many things, - spiritually non materialistic, nature high addicts and so positive that nothing could dampen our spirits.

Anyway, imagine a huge valley of volcanos overlooking a crazy Andean city, sparse vegeation and as u go higher your fingers go numb, your heart is beating out control from the altitude, it's freezing cold but the desire to reach the top and see what happens along the way just keeps driving you higher. So inspiring and quiet, clouds below you, small lichen and weird scrubby vegetation that gives way to icicles, volcanic rocks and spongey moss. We couldn't see a soul and were so happy to feel independent and away from the group. It was hard but so empowering, addictive and energising. Once the scrubby vegetation ended close to the top of the volcano the landscape turned into almost black sandhills. Every 10 metres up took forever and was like trying to walkthrough wet sand surrounded by clouds. We couldn't see more than 50 metres ahead of us but determined to make it to the top.

Have I said sometime recently that mountains make me happy and high...if I haven't I can't say it enough!!! WOW! The view was incredible,the air so fresh, my face is a wind burn mess, my newly acquired hiking boots did the job and we bounced back down the mountain like children.

The clouds didn't move all day and hugged us like a big private cloak, keeping our experience intensley personal. I took so many photos but please google the name of Pinchincha and have a look at the environment.

When we finally returned to the bottom we were so high but freezing we had a very yummy warming whiskey. Unfortunately when you travel though you meet people like this so briefly and intensley and then they are gone. I just said goodbye to them as they have a flight to Lima, Peru in a couple of hours. Bummer.

Anyway, it's saturday night in Quito, the city is buzzing with music and noise but I'm stuffed and no one fun to hang with. Tommorrow I'm up early to get a 6am lift two hours north west to Buena Vista Cloud Forest. A cloud forest is created at the base of high mountains like the Andes due to the moisture from the ocean being stopped and trapped by the height of the mountains. This creates a moist nature rich paradise with a really diverse range of hanging air plants, like those old mans beard things in Lamington National Park, but hundreds of kinds of those plants, different colours and much more dense. Toucans, humming birds and heaps of other critters thrive in there!!! Yeah! So looking forward to that too.

As you can tell from my absolute hyper drivvle from a very loud smoky internet cafe, I'm excited!

Just checking in after a few days between group tours. Heading off to the Amazon on Tuesday with my new group that I will be with for the next 35 days! Good mix of people, half guys and girls, Aussies of course, kiwis, 1 pom and two South Africans. We all just had dinner together and a few of them seem like really keen hikers so should be great. Some of us that have already spent some time in Quito city are blowing the first day tomorrow already to head off on our own hike! Should be great.

Today I went two hours North West out of Quito to a cloud forest. Really, really beautiful and very mellow, almost tranquilising 😊 I hired an Ecuadorian guide named Gabriela who was basically a nature nerd. We spent the day getting there along a beautiful green mountain valley floor in a bus, then a few hours hiking in the most lush mossy forest I think I have ever seen. Not sure, maybe Cape Tribulation in a different way? Basically though the cloud forest has the most dense diversity of plant life in Ecuador, even more than the Amazon. Every tree trunk is covered in moss and every available air space has some hanging vine, moss, orchid or fern trying to fill it. Needless to say the air was delicious and I´m still on my nature happy vibe tonight.

Adio
Kris
xxx

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